ANGELUS: CHRIST IS THE MEASURE GOD HAS GIVEN HUMANITY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2007 (VIS) - At his Angelus prayer today, the second Sunday of Advent, Benedict XVI recalled how St. John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ, preaching in the desert, "put people on their guard, above all against the hypocrisy of those who felt secure for the simple fact of belonging to the Chosen People: before God, ... no one has the right to boast but must 'bear fruit worthy of repentance.'

  "As the journey of Advent continues," the Pope added, "as we prepare to celebrate the nativity of Christ, John the Baptist's call to conversion sounds out in our communities. It is a pressing invitation to open our hearts and to welcome the Son of God Who comes among us to make divine judgement manifest. The Father, writes St. John the Evangelist, does not judge anyone, but has entrusted the power of judgement to the Son, because He is the Son of man.

  "And it is today, in the present," the Pope added, "that we decide our future destiny. It is with our concrete everyday behavior in this life that we determine our eternal fate. At the end of our days on earth, at the moment of death, we will be evaluated on the basis of our likeness or otherwise to the Baby Who is about to be born in the poor grotto of Bethlehem, because He is the measure God has given humanity."

  He continued: "Through the Gospel John the Baptist continues to speak down the centuries to each generation. His hard clear words bring health to us, the men and women of this day in which even the experience and perception of Christmas often, unfortunately, reflects materialist attitudes. The 'voice' of the great prophet asks us to prepare the way for the coming Lord in the deserts of today, internal and external deserts, thirsting for the water of life which is Christ."

  After praying the Angelus, the Pope mentioned his forthcoming meeting with Roman university students, due to take place on December 13. "Dear young people," he said, "I hope you will come in large numbers so we may prepare for Christmas by invoking the gift of wisdom from the Holy Spirit for the entire university community."
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